Cleaning implement.



LVS'. SOUREK.k

CLEANING IMPLEMBNT.

APPLIouIon Hmm uns. 1910.

1,008,382. Patented 1\n w.14,1911.`

u mi w" l/tnesses.- INVENTQR' Z z. 7,41 @/sep Lzure,

WIr/"f 'Bv UNITED sTATns PATENT oFFIoE.

Josmrn s. sonas; en -rara.. Townsnn, suman' couirrir`,-onro.

i Giannina rmrLEiunNT.

Bath township, in the.y county of'S 'mmitx `and State of'Qhio, have invented'new. fand usefulV Improvements' in Cleaning 'imple ments, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to cleaning implements especially designed for cleaning the bark of trees and the object thereof-is to provide a suitable implementV by which scale and other injurious matter may easily be removed from the bark of a tree, the device being constructed of such width as to cover a relatively large area of the bark of a tree at each application to reduce the time required for the treatment thereof, as Well as to make the same more efiicacious. z

The invention ,contemplates providing a suitable tool having a plurality of resilient' fingers the inner ends of which are carried by a body portion rovided with a handle orv socket and `with t e oppositeends thereof bent to constitute scraping blades, the outer ends of which are independently-movable, so that when the tool is ap lied to an irre larly-formed surface, suc as the bark o a tree,the scraping blades at the ends of the fingers will adapt themselves and conform to the various irregularities of the surface over which they are passed to cause them to resiliently and yieldably engage the same to effectually clean all portions over which the tool is passed.

The invention` further contemplates the use of the device, or slight modifications thereof for scaling fish, dressing stone, butchersblocks, carrying horses, etc., so that the implement or slight modifications thereof is capable of being employed' for performing a variety of operations wherein 1t is necessary to use a cleaning or scraping `tool upon an irregular surface on which an inflexi le or unyie ding scra ing tool cannot be advantageously employedi With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in thevnovel construction, combination and arrangement of gers of t Patenteaffnov. 14,1911.

inafter specifica y described and'fillustr ated 1n the accompanying drawingsv4 which; io'rm a part hereof wherein is shown the. preferred embodiment of the invention, but 1t isfo be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to'which mme within 'thescope of the claims hereunto appended. i

In the drawin s, in which similar reference numerals in icate like parts in the different figures: Figure 1 1s a perspective view of my im roved device showing the same 1n use un er service conditions. Fig. il 1s a perspective view of 'the device shown 1n Fig. enlarged; and, Fig. 3 is a view in central, ongitudinal section of the device shown in. Fig. 2.'

Referring to the drawings in .detail iny parts constitutin the inventiijiril to(behere-` which is shown a preferred ty of this invention, the reference numera 1 denotes a transversely-extending approximatel U- shaped bar constituting the body portion of the device and provided at the lateral edges thereof with a series of forwardly-proiecting spaced lugs 2. Seated' in thev groove or channel formed b the sides ofthe body portion 1 are a p urality. of flat strips of exible material bent substantially U-shaped to provide an upper and a lower set of inde- Ilixendently yielda le fingers 4.-, 5 respectively. he fingers of each set are arranged in parallel planes and the ngers of one set extend 1n parallelism with respect to the fine other set. The fingers of the set 4 are of greater length than the fingers of the set 5. The bend 3 of each of the strips is secured to the inner face of the member 1. The fin fingers of t e set 5, are spaced from each other through the medium of thelu s 2. The outer e d of each of the fingers o the rs of the set 4, as well as the set 4, as well s the outer end of each i the are indicated by the reference character 6 and the blades of the fingers of l'the set 5 are indicated by the reference character 7.

The blades 6 are arranged in parallelism with respect to each other and a like arr specific means for mounting a pair of series of resilient spring fingers terminating in scraping blades to providea flexible scraper, it will be obvious of course thatl these fingers may bev mounted and formed in a variety of ran ementv is had in' connection with the bla es 7.

After the bends or curved ends of the strips` have been seated in the groove or channel in the member 1 a U-shaped clamping member 8 is inserted in vthe groove and seated on the inner faces of the strips. The lside walls of the U-shaped clamping member 8 a proximatel conform to he inner faces of) the curve portions of t e strips vand are usually somewhat narrower than the side walls of the member 1. After the clamping member 8 has been seated, the lugs 2 are bent and clenched over the outer edges of the sides of the member 8 for locking it in position, in doing which the lugs 2 are passed between the strips and serve to constitute spacin members for holding the latter in s ace relation with res ect to each other, an at the same time the enching or bending of the lugs 2 over the ed s of the clamping member 8 serves to simu taneously and fxedly lock all of the strips against movement, thereby providing the body portion with one or more series of projectin all com d of resilient and.

ab e material lwith their ends terminatlng in inwardly extendiii resilient, independentlyv movable scraping Elades. f In practice, I preferably provide the body portion 1 with a convenienthandle 9, shown 1n the drawings secured to the member 1 through the` medium of holdfast devices `10,

but it will.be obvious that instead of the .form of handle shown any other.may bel employed or a socket ma be used to .re-

ceive the end of a pole wlvien the device is to be used on the u per portions of a tree.

While I have shown and described one ways and hence I d o Vnot confine myself to the exact details of construction or limit myself to the manner of holding the inner ends ofthe resilient ngers.

I claim: e

class described, of a 'body portion provided with a U-shaped groove or channel the sides of which are rovided at their edges with a plurality olf 'laterally-extending s aced lugs, a plurality ofindependently-yie dable resilient rs, one end of each of which mountedV in said groove or channel, a common clamp device for simultaneously holding the en of said fingers in said groove and retained in position by the clenching of said lugs thereon, said lugs constituting means for holding said ylingers in Vclamping device for simu v 1ts .free end bent 1. The combination `in a device of the spaced relation, the outer end of each of said fingers fashioned to constitute an independently-yieldable and resiliently-Supported scraping blade.

2. The combination in a device of the class described, of a body portion provided with a groove constituting a seat, a plurality of U-shaped fingers havin the bent portions thereof mounted in sai seat and with the extended portions of said fingers fashioned to constitute inde endently-yieldable and resiliently-supporte sera ing blades and a ltaneously-holdin the curved portions of said fingers in sai seat, substantially as described.

3. A cleaning implement comprising a body portion, and two sets of inde endentlyyieldable resilient fingers exten ing therefrom,- the fingers of one set arranged below and parallel with the fingers of the other set each of the tinges of each. set having the en s thereof fashioned to constitute independentl -yieldable scraping blades, the

lades o the lower set depending below the blades of the upper set.

4. A cleaning implement lcomprising a body ortion, and two sets of independentlyyielda le resilient fingersV extending therefrom, each of the lingers of each sethaving the ends thereof fashioned to constitute al independently-yieldable scrapi blade, vthe fingers of one set arranged benow and extending in parallelism with respect to the fingers of the other set.

Z5. A cleaning implement comprising va plurality of flexible strips bent to provide two sets of independently-yieldable resilient fingers, each of the fingers of each set having its free end bent inwardly at ri ht angles rovide a scra ing blade the gers of ea set arranged1 in arallel planes with respect to each other, e blades of the fingers of each set arranged inparallel planes withres ct to each other, and means for maintaining the lingers of each set in spaced relation with respect lto each`,other.

6. A cleaning implement comprising a plurality of flexible strips bent to provide two sets of inde ndently-yieldable resilient fingers, each of tlia fingers of each set hav' inwardly at right angles to rovide a scra ing blade, the fingers of eac set arrangev in arallel planes with respect to each other, e blades of the fingers of each set arranged in parallel planes with res ct to each other, and means for maintaining the fingers of each set in spaced relation with respect to each other, the .fingers of one set arranged below and in paral.-

elism with the fingers of the other set 7. A cleaning im lement comprising a pair'of blades unite at one end and with their free ends arranged to lie in a vertical plane'one above the other, the \termini of said free ends` thereof aliruptly bent :at angles with the ends causingl the faces of the bentportionsto lie `inthe same fgexvlerall direction asjsaidlplane,said be'nl',fpo1'tions` 5. arranged-*to constitute independently Iadapt- Witnesses `able-nud yieldnblelscra yingblades.` f' E.fHUM"1?Hnn In testimony whereo I have hereunto set Gmnm Fox. 

